A mothers blessing and curse
by mary quiet contrary
Summary: Lily's sacrifice did more than save harrys life that night.In desperation she turned to ancient magic which would change her son forever. WARNING everything and the kitchen sink. don't read if easily offended. SB/RL
1. A mothers desperation and death

_**AN/ I have no idea how I thought this up ,but I hope you like it. WARNING if you have trouble with transgender , slash, violence, death, cross dressing, torture, etc. This is not for you. Harry wont be paired with anyone or have any kind of sexual relationship until much later and I'm not sure if it will be slash or not. The warnings for Remus/Sirius because I wish it were canon. Harry will be the one who can become a girl but that's not until later until then he cross dresses as a disguise. **_**some of these flashbacks and the ones further on in the storie are from the canon books and I didn't write them just tweaked them a little. I.E this means a disclaimer, not my flashbacks, their the wonderful JK Rowlings.**

Chapter 1: A mothers desperation and death

**Godric's hollow Potter residence**

Lily Potter had woken up and made her way to the nursery where her baby Harry slept peacefully in his cot, quietly scooped him up and sitting down in the rocking chair next to the window. Little Harry stirred slightly in his mother's arms, but didn't wake as she hugged her baby close rocking him in her arms, looking down at her firstborn. Soft black hair, already messy, spilled across his head, his closed eyes were an emerald green color like her own. When she had held her baby in her arms for the first time looking at him she had loved him more than anything in the world. She had loved many people in her life ,but the in that moment she knew he was the one she held closest to her heart. That feeling had only intensified after Professor Dumbledore told them of the Prophecy that had sent them into hiding at Godric's Hollow. He had told them that Voldemort was targeting them, but only after Harrys birth did he tell them why.

"_The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches. … Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies … and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not … and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives. … The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies…_"

The words haunted her dreams and as they hid she began to think. They had tested Harry's magic when he was born and though it was stronger than average it wasn't anything that could defeat a psychopathic dark lord with years of experience and practice. The Potters had spoken of protections, training, and any other options they could think of to protect their son without results. She knew James was frustrated with their situation and she was to. How long could they really live under the Fidelius like this? They were fully trained Aurors and had fought in many battles before, but it hadn't prepared them for this. She thought of their friends the Longbottoms who they had gone to school with, finished training together, and fought besides. How she and Alice had made each other Godmothers to their boys and agreed that they could raise them like brothers together.

Now it came down to the fact that their boys could be killed by a Dark Lord and they seemed helpless to stop it. Lily had thought about it constantly until she was sure of her plan. She had been friends with Severus Snape for years looking into the dark arts together. She had worked with some other kids as well who went on to become death eaters. It wasn't friendship with them, just a mutual respect for the subject. They had held a fascination for them and she hadn't restricted herself when her friendship with Severus ended.

She continued towards her other talents like charms and potions on the surface. She had gotten her Charms Mastery six months before they went into hiding. She was the youngest master since Helga Hufflepuff at fifteen. Her thesis on ancient charms had been one of the best in years and featured in Challenges in Charming. Had she been able to she would have been able to continue with her working Potions Mastery though Severus was already ahead as the youngest in record. She knew she wasn't a legitimate light witch and she never used questionable spells in front of James or the Order, but she knew she had the ability and talent to be a dark sorceress if she wanted.

She didn't believe being dark made someone evil it was the choices they made that mattered and Lily had made her choice. Now, she was preparing to use a complicated ritual to give her son a chance to survive. She had already written to Regulus demanding he come alone to fulfill a life debt he owed her. Many would call her a monster for using such dark magic on her son and working with a Death Eater, but her intentions were good no matter what others said. She knew there would be consequences for them all for the rest of their lives, but they would have lives and Lily would explain everything to Harry and help him though it as he grew up. When Regulus discovered what the spell did he would be furious, but powerless to stop it.

She carefully wrapped him in a blanket and left the house though the back door apparating to her hidden estate in Tinworth, a village in Cornwall, England, near the coast. It included a two-story cottage and the grounds surrounding it, had been empty for about twelve years, It was in a relatively good state considering how long it has been empty. She had put a lot of effort into its repairs and wards She had discovered it upon graduation when she began to look for a place to work on her experiments. a half-magical dwelling, with a wizarding community established in secret alongside the Muggles. No one knew she was there and the lab was under an old pureblood charm that usually guarded their manors or estates from anyone outside the family. She had been pleased with herself for using it herself as a muggleborns witch.

One of the empty bedrooms was made into a library for her research. The bookshelves held a wide variety of rare and interesting books concerning most every kind of magic she enjoyed looking into. There was a fare number of dark arts books and grey books which no proper light witch would ever touch. For her potions lab in the basement she had a fully functioning ventilating system and all of her ingredients and tools were arranged into a row of cabinets along every wall. When she needed to stay the night she would live in the smallest bedroom.

Since she'd been to busy to clean a coat of dust resided on every surface. She had been busy preparing the ritual to bother with dusting. Casting powerful cleaning spells as she went she made her way to the Ritual room on the ground floor next to the kitchen. It was a circular room barren of anything but the walls and ceiling with one small goblet in the center of the room on the floor. It was a deep white color, and glowed eerily. Perhaps she would have admired the color if it was under a different circumstance, but this white had been connected with death, sacrifices and destruction, and that thought made her sick to her stomach.

For some reason, the only thing she could think about at the moment was _Sirius is going to hate me for this - but who's going to tell him? Its for Harry, at this point, what does Sirius matter? What does he care about his brother anyway? _Then again, nobody save themselves and the baby would ever know what truly happened.

As instructed Regulus Black was waiting leaning against the far wall his expression was tinged with suspicion as he gazed at the white liquid. "Lily Potter, what do you want? Your letter was very vague besides the fact that you wished me to repay my debt. You clearly haven't set me up in an ambush as my spells indicate, nor do you seem to be a messenger from my dear brother or the flaming Turkeys." At the last sentence, the male's voice grew cold.

Looking warily at the death eater and once almost friend, she gathered herself. Her heart raced on overtime, If she messed this up in anyway someone would die. She would have to be very careful and convincing. She did the most convincing thing she could by walking over to him and entwining their hands while she placed the tip of her wand at her heart and speaking the truth vow. She wouldn't be able to lie without forfeiting her magic, but she didn't have to tell him everything as she would under truth serum.

" I'm here to save my son Harry. I need you to help me with a ritual, It wont kill you, or destroy your magic, you can walk out that door with your mind intact when its done. I need a male component and you fit the requirements. My sons life is in danger because of a dark wizard who wants him dead and I fear he may succeed if I don't do this. In this I ask that you partner me in this ritual to fulfill the life debt you owe me." The word came out calmly with a hint of steel as she looked him in the eyes. even as she ended the vow she held on to her hope, she had to keep her hope alive. It was all that kept her going at this point, her hope and determination. A determination to bring down this mans lord and master.

She had practiced these words out, and he saw that they had affected him. His eyes lost their suspicion and he gave the baby a small smile.

"Okay, are you ready now? What's the plan and what's my part?" Somehow managing to make his tone light and friendly he sounded so much like his older brother as he talked to her while he looked at her son.

She explained that they would have to take turns drinking the potion and willingly give her son a drop of blood each to give him strength. They each cut their fingers and put it to the babies lips who began to explore them with his mouth until they took them away. Harry looked at them both curiously as if asking "what's next?" She smiled placing him on the floor gently between them and handing the goblet to Regulus.

"Let us begin." Swirling her wand as she spoke the last word, the walls began to glow with runes and symbols as he bent down onto his knees. The goblet brimmed and glowed, and Regulus looked Lily in the eye, both clearly nervous. It had all come to this. They had all barely begun to live. Regulus was only eighteen, she twenty one and little Harry only a newborn. But this was what they had to do, and what they would all live with for the rest of their lives. And then, Harry looked up, and looked up at Regulus, placing his small hand on his. 'Regulus placed a small kiss on it before he lifted a hand, holding her own before raising the goblet to his lips.

He felt as though his mind was being pulled open and drained of everything that made him. His memories were flowing away from him into the light while he sank into the dark.

'No! No! I won't let you!' The younger Black shrieked in his terror, attempting to stand and escape. Why hadn't he spoken out? Why had he agreed to this, he had the chance to walk away? His panic and fear was suddenly replaced by an odd sense of loss. '_No_!' The male roared, eyes smoldering and unfocused. The emptiness was the worst he'd ever felt and he didn't even know it.

'Hold on Regulus its almost over!' A familiar female voice broke through his hallucinations, and Regulus gasped. He lay there for a second, vision blurring and nearly fading out before all of his memories began to replay in fast forward back into his head. For a moment, his vision focused, and he was himself. Lily was hovering over him a small smile on her face. He remembered what he'd agreed to and looked over at the baby beside him who seemed to have fallen into a deep sleep.

Lily helped him reverse their positions before drinking the potion herself. She choked, forcing her mouth to drink more of the potion up. Eyes unfocused, a nagging sensation in the back of her mind telling her to go on. she couldn't quite remember why, though... you must drink the potion for Harry. Do it for your son. Another male voice told her. Regulus watched as her breathing became labored and pain flashed across her face while she screamed and whimpered as he held her down next to her son. It took about two hours for it to finish. When she came back to herself she turned to her baby leaning into regulus as she picked up Harry with a sigh and kissed him tenderly on the forehead. "thank you for this, your welcome back here anytime." She new he would be back when he felt the bond more strongly. It wasn't something he'd notice right away, but in a few days he would.

Regulus shook his head, thinking of the Dark Lords Horcrux. After he left she binded Harrys new magic, he wouldn't be ready for it until he was older. They left and only the goblet remained. When she got home she put Harry back into his crib and went to bed. She'd been gone for six hours, but the sleeping drought in her husbands meal had worked as always and he slept peacefully. She snuggled in next to him and slept.

For the next two weeks she felt the bond growing, even as Harry cried loudly in pain she felt it stabilizing. She told everyone he had colic and that it ran in the family. James did everything he could to comfort their son, clearly pained by his tears and screams. The other Marauders tried to help out to. Sirius surprisingly was the most effective when he sang and rocked him in his arms. He had recently been promoted in the Aurora ranks ,but made time when he could. Remus who clearly adored Harry as his cub never let the screams stop him from giving the baby a light massage and whispering words of comfort and love to him. She wondered what spell he was using on his sensitive ears.

Peter wasn't able to hold Harry after the first time when he shook so bad he almost dropped him, and seemed frightened of anything baby related. She didn't agree that they should change secret keepers, Sirius may be the obvious choice but he would never betray them, Peter had always been weak, and busy with his sick mother, who's health had gone into a great decline. Personally Lily didn't think she'd be around much longer. In the meantime she had a backup plan in case Voldemort got anywhere near Harry. So long as Harry had the connection with Regulus he'd be alright if she died. Halloween was in a couple of days and she new they wouldn't be able to do any trick or treating but Harry was to young to remember anyways.

**Godric's hollow Potter residence Halloween 1981**

She opened the door and entered the living room where James was scooping up Harry and handing him to her. James threw his wand down upon the sofa and stretched, yawning happily. Harry's 'colic' was gone and the bond fully formed. Everything seemed peaceful and she thought for a moment that it would all be ok until the door burst open. Voldemort stood on the threshold as James went sprinting into the hall.

"Lily, take Harry and go! It's him! Go! Run! I'll hold him off!" James yelled. She heard a high vicious laugh as she ran with Harry up to his nursery. Now that it was actually happening it seemed she was past fear, she knew what would happen, Harry would survive and go live with Sirius who would over time discover the bond between him and his brother. They would have to make amends for Harry's sake ,but she knew he would. She heard him cast the killing curse at james and knew he was dead. They'd be together again soon. Their was no need to grieve his death, but grieve her separation from her son.

She heard him climbing the steps, at the sight of him, she dropped her son into the crib behind her and threw her arms wide, It was time. She begged him mercy though she knew he had none. When the killing curse came at her final thoughts were of her baby's smiling face and green eyes. Harry who had not cried all this time wailed loudly at the loss of his mother and the severing of the bond.

He could stand, clutching the bars of his crib, and he looked up into the intruder's face who pointed the wand very carefully into Harry's face lifting his chin gently with his fingers and let out a hiss as the baby bit down drawing blood. "you are your parents son, fighting till the end." Voldemort stated as the baby sucked on his wound before it began to cry as the digits were taken away. Babies always cried at the orphanage and he hated the sound, but soon the child would end its sad wailing and join its parents. He spoke the killing curse softly and was shocked when it rebound. His mind was pulled asunder before it all came crashing together again while his body disintegrated. The soul of the Dark Lord Voldemort fled and Harry Potter was hailed the boy who lived.


	2. A creast and a cupboard

AN:/ some of these flashbacks and the ones further on in the storie are from the canon books and I didn't write them just tweaked them a little. I.E this means a disclaimer, not my flashbacks, their the wonderful JK Rowlings.

Chapter 2

A cupboard and a crest

**Number 4 Private Drive Surrey**

The residents of Private Drive knew Harry Potter was the quiet boy who lived with his Aunt, Uncle and Cousin. His parents had died in a drunk car crash. No doubt that was why the boy was so odd. He didn't speak much or have any friends though he was handy at fixing things and cleaning around the neighborhood. He was always polite if not a bit dim, but he was pitied along with his relatives for the burden it must be to care for such a sick child. Such kind and generous people those Dursleys. Everyone was sure he had an untreatable form of brain damage from the crash which lead to his seizures. The seizures weren't dangerous to him, just very painful. He went around the neighborhood doing odd jobs for everyone and never caused any trouble. His Aunt and Uncle probably dressed him the way they did because of all the hospital bills they must have. The boy was small and thin because he was ill. The poor boy probably wasn't strong enough to leave the neighborhood though the work he did around it was by his aunts simpering words "its good for him to get some exercise and communication skills."

The neighbors would be horrified to discover that they made the boy sleep in the cupboard under the stairs and forced him to do the odd jobs for the small pay he would get and whatever gossip his aunt wanted him to spy about. The Dursleys didn't have any such hospital bills because they only took the boy to the doctor for mandatory shots. He had never had a check up, otherwise someone would notice the malnutrition, neglect, and sometimes physical abuse. The Dursleys thought the boy was odd, but he didn't talk or cry when they hit him, so it got to the point that even they believed the freak was damaged. He was only a problem when he had seizures at random or in the middle of the night. They stopped worrying about the other freaks teaching him magic because he was clearly not one of them. He hadn't done anything odd or abnormal that could be considered part of "their lot." At school he was placed in the special Ed classes and the teacher reports said he was a good boy and liked coloring. Without the fear of magic hanging over their heads the Dursleys lived carefree lives until the day they sent their nephew to fetch the mail from the front door. They had no idea what was about to happen.

The boy had been damaged for many years, unable to sort through the chaos in his mind. After his seventh birthday he slowly began to become aware of the world and of himself. He didn't know exactly how his own mind worked, but he had grown used to the strange shifting memories that would come during the day to slip through his conscious mind before slipping away again. The memories or visions would be sharp and clear while he slept and so he learned quickly how to read and write through the memories lessons. He knew what he learned was real, he wasn't crazy or at least not in the conventional sense. He'd dream of being in a different classroom learning besides other children he played with at lunch, the boy Severus who he loved like a brother, of loving parents who gave him presents each Christmas, of a dark elegant room with a stern teacher in robes telling him to stand up straight he wasn't a muggle! He dreamed of an older brother who played pranks and fought with his second set of parents who were cold even to each other. He dreamed of a bare room with a gloomy view and a secret tin filled with treasured positions he had taken. He dreamed of snakes talking to him and children cowering as he looked at them.

He grew used to these dreams and gave up trying to figure them out, he needed to concentrate on surviving in the waking world. He wasn't used to the seizures no matter how many times they came the pain was always just as terrible as the time before. He was waiting for something though he wasn't sure what. He knew something special was waiting for him, if he could survive and learn until it was time then it would be alright. He picked up the mail and stopped dead in the hallway as he came to a letter for him. He didn't feel surprised even though he didn't know anyone who would write to him.

_Mr. H. Potter _

_The Cupboard under the Stairs 4 Privet Drive _

_Little Whinging _

_Surrey_

The envelope was thick and heavy, made of yellowish parchment, and the address was written in emerald-green ink.

There was no stamp.

Turning the envelope over, his hand trembling, Harry saw a purple wax seal bearing a coat of arms; a lion, an eagle, a badger, and a snake surrounding a large letter _H_.

He felt the familiar haze overtake him that meant a vision, his sight became black as he felt his mind fall back into the waiting memories.

FLASHBACK

Her letter had come! It was all just like Severus had said it would be. She had shown the letter to her parents and they had been happy for her, then an older witch had come, she was a very strict looking woman named MgGonagall from the school. She was a professor and explained everything to her parents and how to get them to Diagon alley. She would be a real witch. Soon she would get a wand and she could practice real magic with Severus! She was so happy as she looked down again at the creast on her letter.

2nd FLASHBACK

He tried to stay calm as he took the letter from the owl. He had to keep his composure, but his hands shook with surpressed nerves as he held the letter in his hands. He would go to Hogwarts and show his parents what a real Slytherin was like. He would surpase his brother Sirius and make his parents proud. He had to uphold the family honor since Sirius wouldn't. "Mother, father, I've received my Hogwarts letter, when can we get my supplies?" He said never looking up from the creast on his letter.

3rd FLASHBACK

Mrs. Cole a skinny, harassed-looking woman came in the room. She had a sharp-featured face that appeared more anxious than unkind, and she was talking over her shoulder to a man with long auburn hair and beard. He wore a flamboyantly cut suit of plum velvet which would no doubt make him look harmless and ecentric to most but he could see the intelligence behind those sharp blue eyes. "Tom? You've got a visitor. This is Mr. Dumberton — sorry, Dunderbore. He's come to tell you — well, I'll let him do it." Mrs. Cole closed the door on them. It was a small bare room with nothing in it except an old wardrobe and an iron bedstead. He was sitting on top of the gray blankets, his legs stretched out in front of him, holding a book. "How do you do, Tom?" said Dumbledore, walking forward and holding out his hand.

He hesitated, then took it, and they shook hands. Dumbledore drew up the hard wooden chair beside him "I am Professor Dumbledore."

"'Professor'?" he repeated looking warily at the man. "Is that like 'doctor'? What are you here for? Did she get you in to have a look at me?"

He was pointing at the door through which Mrs. Cole had just left.

"No, no," said Dumbledore, smiling.

"I don't believe you," he said. "She wants me looked at, doesn't she? Tell the truth!"

He spoke the last three words with a ringing force that was almost shocking. It was a command, and it sounded as though he had given it many times before.

His eyes had widened and he was glaring at Dumbledore, who made no response except to continue smiling pleasantly. After a few seconds he stopped glaring, though he looked, if anything, warier still.

"Who are you?"

"I have told you. My name is Professor Dumbledore and I work at a school called Hogwarts. I have come to offer you a place at my school — your new school, if you would like to come."

He leapt from the bed and backed away from Dumbledore, looking furious.

"You can't kid me! The asylum, that's where you're from, isn't it? 'Professor,' yes, of course — well, I'm not going, see? That old cat's the one who should be in the asylum. I never did anything to little Amy Benson or Dennis Bishop, and you can ask them, they'll tell you!"

"I am not from the asylum," said Dumbledore patiently. "I am a teacher and, if you will sit down calmly, I shall tell you about Hogwarts. Of course, if you would rather not come to the school, nobody will force you —"

"I'd like to see them try," he sneered. That old bat would pay for this.

"Hogwarts," Dumbledore went on, as though he had not heard his last words, "is a school for people with special abilities —"

"I'm not mad!"

"I know that you are not mad. Hogwarts is not a school for mad people. It is a school of magic."

There was silence. He had frozen in place as his mind registerd the mans words. "Magic?" he repeated in a whisper.

"That's right," said Dumbledore.

"It's… it's magic, what I can do?"

"What is it that you can do?"

"All sorts," he breathed becoming excited. "I can make things move without touching them. I can make animals do what I want them to do, without training them. I can make bad things happen to people who annoy me. I can make them hurt if I want to."

His legs were trembling. He stumbled forward and sat down on the bed again, staring at his hands, his head bowed as though in prayer.

"I knew I was different," he whispered to his own quivering fingers. "I knew I was special. Always, I knew there was something."

"Well, you were quite right," said Dumbledore, "You are a wizard."

He lifted his head. "Are you a wizard too?"

"Yes, I am."

"Prove it," said Riddle at once, in the same commanding tone he had used when he had said, "Tell the truth."

Dumbledore raised his eyebrows. "If, as I take it, you are accepting your place at Hogwarts —"

"Of course I am!"

"Then you will address me as 'Professor' or 'sir.'"

He felt furious for a moment at this command before he said, in an unrecognizably polite voice, "I'm sorry, sir. I meant — please, Professor, could you show me —?"

Dumbledore drew his wand from an inside pocket of his suit jacket, pointed it at the shabby wardrobe in the corner, and gave the wand a casual flick.

The wardrobe burst into flames.

He jumped to his feet; howling in shock and rage; all his worldly possessions were in there. But even as he rounded on Dumbledore, the flames vanished, leaving the wardrobe completely undamaged.

He stared from the wardrobe to Dumbledore; then, his expression greedy, he pointed at the wand. "Where can I get one of them?"

"All in good time," said Dumbledore. "I think there is something trying to get out of your wardrobe."

And sure enough, a faint rattling could be heard from inside it. For the first time, he was frightened.

"Open the door," said Dumbledore.

He hesitated, then crossed the room and threw open the wardrobe door. On the topmost shelf, above a rail of threadbare clothes, a small cardboard box was shaking and rattling as though there were several frantic mice trapped inside it.

"Take it out," said Dumbledore.

He took down the quaking box. He was unnerved.

"Is there anything in that box that you ought not to have?" asked Dumbledore.

He threw Dumbledore a long, clear, calculating look. "Yes, I suppose so, sir," he said finally, in an expressionless voice.

"Open it," said Dumbledore.

He took off the lid and tipped the contents onto his bed without looking at them. A mess of small, everyday objects: a yo-yo, a silver thimble, and a tarnished mouth organ among them. Once free of the box, they stopped quivering and lay quite still upon the thin blankets. They were his damn this man!

"You will return them to their owners with your apologies," said Dumbledore calmly, putting his wand back into his jacket. "I shall know whether it has been done. And be warned: Thieving is not tolerated at Hogwarts."

He wasn't even remotely abashed; he was still staring coldly and appraisingly at Dumbledore. At last he said in a colorless voice, "Yes, sir."

"At Hogwarts," Dumbledore went on, "we teach you not only to use magic, but to control it. You have — inadvertently, I am sure — been using your powers in a way that is neither taught nor tolerated at our school. You are not the first, nor will you be the last, to allow your magic to run away with you. But you should know that Hogwarts can expel students, and the Ministry of Magic — yes, there is a Ministry — will punish lawbreakers still more severely. All new wizards must accept that, in entering our world, they abide by our laws."

"Yes, sir," he said as he put the little cache of stolen objects back into the cardboard box. When he had finished, he turned to Dumbledore and said baldly, "I haven't got any money."

"That is easily remedied," said Dumbledore, drawing a leather money-pouch from his pocket. "There is a fund at Hogwarts for those who require assistance to buy books and robes. You might have to buy some of your spellbooks and so on secondhand, but —"

"Where do you buy spellbooks?" he interrupted, who had taken the heavy money bag without thanking Dumbledore, and was now examining a fat gold Galleon.

"In Diagon Alley," said Dumbledore. "I have your list of books and school equipment with me. I can help you find everything —"

"You're coming with me?" asked Riddle, looking up.

"Certainly, if you —"

"I don't need you," said Riddle. "I'm used to doing things for myself, I go round London on my own all the time. How do you get to this Diagon Alley — sir?" he added, catching Dumbledore's eye. Dumbledore handed him the envelope containing his list of equipment, and after telling him exactly how to get to the Leaky Cauldron from the orphanage, he said, "You will be able to see it, although Muggles around you — non-magical people, that is — will not. Ask for Tom the barman — easy enough to remember, as he shares your name —"

This reminder irritated him badly after the man had set his wardrobe on fire and made him get rid of his treasures.

"You dislike the name 'Tom'?"

"There are a lot of Toms," he muttered . Then, he could not suppress the question, it burst from him in spite of himself, he asked, "Was my father a wizard? He was called Tom Riddle too, they've told me."

"I'm afraid I don't know," said Dumbledore, his voice gentle.

"My mother can't have been magic, or she wouldn't have died," he said, more to himself than Dumbledore.

"It must've been him. So — when I've got all my stuff — when do I come to this Hogwarts?"

"All the details are on the second piece of parchment in your envelope," said Dumbledore. "You will leave from King's Cross Station on the first of September. There is a train ticket in there too."

He nodded. Dumbledore got to his feet and held out his hand again. Taking it, he said, "I can speak to snakes. I found out when we've been to the country on trips — they find me, they whisper to me. Is that normal for a wizard?"

"It is unusual," said Dumbledore, after a moment's hesitation, "but not unheard of."

His tone was casual but his eyes moved curiously over his face. They stood for a moment, man and boy, staring at each other. Then the handshake was broken; Dumbledore was at the door.

"Good-bye, Tom. I shall see you at Hogwarts."

END FLASHBACKS


	3. A Hut and Half Giant

AN/ well some of this chapter had parts from the original Harry potter and my own work mixed up in it. So parts of it are JK's and some of its mine. Things get intresting when they get to Diagon alley. Review.

Chapter 3

A Hut and a Half giant

When Harry came back to himself he found the letter had been torn out of his hands and he was suddenly dragged back to his cupboard and the door locked tight behind him. They kept him in there for days while he heard an assortment of odd sounds with a daily report from Dudley who hadn't been able to figure out what was going on or speak to his parents. "Who on earth wants to talk to _you _this badly?" Dudley asked Harry in amazement slipping Harry's daily rations in.

Finally the door was opened forcefully and Harry was dragged out by his uncle's beefy hands. Harry didn't fight because he knew that none of the Dursleys would have been able from preventing someone from being sent after him. It also seemed wise not to upset his uncle who was acting rather deranged with half his mustache missing. Harry slept through most of the trip uninterested in where they were going. He just knew someone was coming for him and then he'd be taken into the world in his visions.

When Harry started paying attention again Uncle Vernon had parked at the coast and when he came back later was smiling with a large package in his hands. "Found the perfect place!" he said. "Come on! Everyone out!"

It was very cold outside the car. Uncle Vernon was pointing at what looked like a large rock way out at sea. Perched on top of the rock was the most miserable little shack you could imagine and the inside was just as horrible. Obviously uncle Vernon thought nobody stood a chance of reaching them here in a storm to deliver mail.

Harry privately laughed and happily lay in the corner with his blanket falling straight to sleep while the Dursley's worried. He woke up from a vision of magical bricks moving around to a loud BOOM!

The whole shack shivered and Harry sat bolt upright, staring at the door. Someone was outside, knocking to come in and he smiled happily. "Its time." he said softly to himself.

Uncle Vernon came skidding into the room. He was holding a rifle in his hands and began shouting at the door.

"Who's there? I'm armed!"

SMASH!

The door was hit with such force that it swung clean off its hinges and with a deafening crash landed flat on the floor.

A huge man stood in the doorway. His face was almost completely hidden by a long, shaggy mane of hair and a wild, tangled beard, but you could make out his eyes, glinting like black beetles under all the hair. Harry stood up calmly and stepped a bit closer. He was feeling that déjà vu sensation he usually got before he suddenly knew something no one had ever told him. This man was part of the staff at Hogwarts and a half giant.

"Hello sir, would you mind putting the door back up it's already a bit nippy in here." The Dursleys attention shifted to their calm nephew who was smiling serenely.

"Couldn't make us a cup o' tea, could yeh? It's not been an easy journey…"He said as he bent down, picked up the door, and fitted it easily back into its frame. The noise of the storm outside dropped a little. He turned back and gave Harry smile as he strode over to the couch which Dudley vacated to hide behind his mother, who was crouching, terrified, behind Uncle Vernon.

"A Harry its good ta see ye!" said the giant. "Las' time I saw you, you was only a baby, Yeh look a lot like yer dad, but yeh've got yer mom's eyes."

Harry could feel himself blush and wished he had tea to offer the kind man.

"I'm sorry sir, we have no tea or any food to be honest, but I hope you can tell me more about my parents and Hogwarts since my guardians haven't been very forthcoming." Harry said sitting on the other side of the couch.

Uncle Vernon bristled at this sudden change in the freaks behavior. In all the years they'd had him he'd never said a word and now he was speaking full out like he'd been doing it all his life!

"Stop!" he commanded. "Stop right there, sir! I forbid you to tell the boy anything! He's not going," he said.

Rubeus grunted.

"I'd like ter see a great Muggle like you stop him," he said.

"A what?" said Harry, interested.

"A Muggle," said Rubeus, "it's what we call nonmagic folk like them. An' it's your bad luck you grew up in a family o' the worst Muggles I ever laid eyes on."

"We swore when we took him in we'd put a stop to that rubbish," said Uncle Vernon, "swore we'd stamp it out of him! He hissed. "He's going to Stonewall High and he'll be grateful for it. I've read those letters and he needs all sorts of rubbish — spell books and wands and —"

"If he wants ter go, a great Muggle like you won't stop him," growled Rubeus. "Stop Lily an' James Potter's son goin' ter Hogwarts! Yer mad. His name's been down ever since he was born.

He's off ter the finest school of witchcraft and wizardry in the world. Seven years there and he won't know himself. He'll be with youngsters of his own sort, fer a change, an' he'll be under the greatest headmaster Hogwarts ever had, so shut up, Dursley, yeh great prune," said the giant;

He reached over the back of the sofa, jerked the gun out of Uncle Vernon's hands, bent it into a knot as easily as if it had been made of rubber, and threw it into a corner of the room. Harry was relieved; he hadn't cared for his uncle having it. Uncle Vernon snarled. Pulling Aunt Petunia and Dudley into the other room, he cast one last terrified look at Rubeus and slammed the door behind them.

"Well I sometimes I have dreams and know stuff I didn't before. They never told me anything," Harry said gesturing to the locked door. "I just put the pieces together, but I think you can fill in a few blanks for me. I've seen you in some of them, you work with animals at the castle right? What's your job exactly?" He asked curiously.

The giant chuckled.

"True, I haven't introduced meself. Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts."

He held out an enormous hand and shook Harry's whole arm.

"How's about ye tell me something about them dreams and I'll see what I can do for ye then, eh?" he said, and pulled a slightly squashed box from an inside pocket of his black overcoat. "I'd suppose it's possible ya could have seer's blood in ye. Here ye go Harry happy birthday, I might o sat on it at one point, but it'll taste all right. It's not everyday ye turn eleven eh."

His eyes fell on the empty fireplace; Harry blinked and a second later, there was a roaring fire there. It filled the whole damp hut with flickering light and Harry felt overwhelmed at the sudden realization that this was his eleventh birthday and Rubeus had just done magic. He'd never known his birthday before.

He simply stared for a moment as Rubeus began taking all sorts of things out of the pockets of his coat: a copper kettle, a squashy package of sausages, a poker, a teapot, several chipped mugs, and a bottle of some amber liquid that he took a swig from before starting to make tea. Harry took a deep breath as he opened the box with trembling fingers. Inside was a large, sticky chocolate cake with _Happy Birthday Harry _written on it in green icing. Harry looked up at the Rubeus with a trembling smile.

"Thank you Rubeus, I've been having the dreams as long as I can remember, but I see back instead of forwards. I've seen aunt Petunia as a young girl playing with a woman I think is my mum, I see the castle in my dreams and lots of people when their little and then big. You've been in my dreams at different ages too; I suppose most people call you Hagrid, though I like Rubeus a lot more, it suits you. The dreams aren't something I can control so I can't decide when it happens. Can they teach me at Hogwarts?"

The giant nodded as he slid the first four mouthwatering sausages from the poker, He passed the sausages to Harry, who was so hungry he had never tasted anything so wonderful, but he still couldn't take his eyes off the giant. Rubeus took a gulp of tea and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

"Call me Rubeus if ya like," he said, " An' like I told yeh, I'm Keeper of Keys at Hogwarts so I keep the grounds taken care of and help the animals. Do odd jobs when needed. Ya know all bout Hogwarts though."

"Er — no, that's what I meant before. I only know about magic and such because of my dreams, they never told me about it or how my parents died." said Harry.

Rubeus looked shocked.

"Sorry," Harry said quickly.

"_Sorry_?" barked Rubeus, turning to stare at the door. "It's them as should be sorry! I knew yeh weren't gettin' yer letters but I never thought yeh wouldn't even know abou' ye're mum and dad.

"Do you mean ter tell me," he growled, "that ye knows nothin' abou' — about ANYTHING?"

Harry sighed and took Rubeus hand as he made his way to stand.

"I know _some _things," he said. "I can, you know, do a little magic and see things."

Rubeus stared sadly at Harry. "But yeh must know about yer mum and dad," he said. "I mean, they're _famous_. You're _famous_."

"What? My — my mum and dad weren't famous, were they?"

"Yeh don' know… yeh don' know…" Rubeus ran his fingers through his hair, fixing Harry with a bewildered stare.

"Yeh don' know who yeh _are_?" he said finally.

"But what happened?" Harry asked urgently.

The anger faded from Rubeus's face. He looked suddenly anxious.

"I never expected this," he said, in a low, worried voice. "I had no idea, when Dumbledore told me there might be trouble gettin' hold of yeh, how much yeh didn't know. Ah, Harry, I don' know if I'm the right person ter tell yeh — but someone's gotta — yeh can't go off ter Hogwarts not knowin'."

He sighed sitting back for a moment

"Well, it's best yeh know as much as I can tell yeh — mind, I can't tell yeh everythin', it's a great myst'ry, parts of it…"

He stared into the fire for a few seconds, and then said, "It begins, I suppose, with — with a person called — but its incredible yeh don't know his name, everyone in our world knows —"

"Who?"

"Well — I don' like sayin' the name if I can help it. No one does."

"Why not?"

"Gulpin' gargoyles, Harry, people are still scared. Blimey, this is difficult. See, there was this wizard who went… bad. As bad as you could go. Worse. Worse than worse. His name was…"

Rubeus gulped, but no words came out.

"Could you write it down?" Harry suggested.

"Nah — can't spell it. All right —_Voldemort_. "

Harry suddenly felt a strangely lightweight as he listened to Rubeus say the name and as he continued to talk Harry could see both the groundskeeper and memories of the story he told.

Rubeus shuddered. "Don' make me say it again. Anyway, this — this wizard, about twenty years ago now, started lookin' fer followers. Got 'em, too — some were afraid, some just wanted a bit o' his power, 'cause he was gettin' himself power, all right. Dark days, Harry. Didn't know who ter trust, didn't dare get friendly with strange wizards or witches… terrible things happened. He was takin' over. 'Course, some stood up to him — an' he killed 'em. Horribly. One o' the only safe places left was Hogwarts. Reckon Dumbledore's the only one You-Know-Who was afraid of. Didn't dare try takin' the school, not jus' then, anyway.

"Now, yer mum an' dad were as good a witch an' wizard as I ever knew. Head boy an' girl at Hogwarts in their day! Suppose the myst'ry is why You-Know-Who never tried to get 'em on his side before… probably knew they were too close ter Dumbledore ter want anythin' ter do with the Dark Side.

"Maybe he thought he could persuade 'em… maybe he just wanted 'em outta the way. All anyone knows is, he turned up in the village where you was all living, on Halloween ten years ago. You was just a year old. He came ter yer house an' — an' —"

Rubeus suddenly pulled out a very dirty, spotted handkerchief and blew his nose with a sound like a foghorn.

"Sorry," he said. "But it's that sad — knew yer mum an' dad, an' nicer people yeh couldn't find — anywa…

"You-Know-Who killed 'em. An' then — an' this is the real myst'ry of the thing — he tried to kill you, too. Wanted ter make a clean job of it, I suppose, or maybe he just liked killin' by then. But he couldn't do it.

Never wondered how you got that mark on yer forehead? That was no ordinary cut. That's what yeh get when a powerful, evil curse touches yeh — took care of yer mum an' dad an' yer house, even — but it didn't work on you, an' that's why yer famous, Harry.

No one ever lived after he decided ter kill 'em, no one except you, an' he'd killed some o' the best witches an' wizards of the age — the McKinnons, the Bones, the Prewetts

— an' you was only a baby, an' you lived."

Something very painful was going on in Harry's mind. As Rubeus's story came to a close, he saw again the blinding flash of green light, more clearly than he had ever remembered it before — and he remembered something else, for the first time in his life: a high, cold, cruel laugh.

Rubeus was watching him sadly.

"Took yeh from the ruined house myself, on Dumbledore's orders. Brought yeh ter this lot…."

"But what happened to Vol-, sorry — I mean, You-Know-Who?"

"Good question, Harry. Disappeared. Vanished. Same night he tried ter kill you. Makes yeh even more famous. That's the biggest myst'ry, see… he was gettin' more an' more powerful — why'd he go?

"Some say he died. Codswallop, in my opinion. Dunno if he had enough human left in him to die.

Some say he's still out there, bidin' his time, like, but I don' believe it. People who was on his side came back ter ours. Some of 'em came outta kinda trances. Don' reckon they could've done if he was comin' back.

"Most of us reckon he's still out there somewhere but lost his powers. Too weak to carry on. 'Cause somethin' about you finished him, Harry. There was somethin' goin' on that night he hadn't counted on — _I _dunno what it was, no one does — but somethin' about you stumped him, all right."

There was silence inside the hut. Only the sea and the whistling wind could be heard.

"I reckon it's abou' time yeh read yer letter." Rubeus said quietly.

Harry stretched out his hand at last to take the yellowish envelope, addressed in emerald green to _Mr. H. Potter, the Floor, Hut-on-the-Rock, and the Sea. _He pulled out the letter and read:

_HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY _

_Headmaster: ALBUS DUMBLEDORE _

_(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards) _

_Dear Mr. Potter, _

_We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. _

_Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31. _

_Yours sincerely, _

_Minerva McGonagall, _

_Deputy Headmistress _

Questions exploded inside Harry's head like fireworks.

"How can I pay for all of this Rubeus? How do I get there? Where are we supposed to get an owl?"

"Yer parents left ye their money an that reminds me," said Rubeus, and from yet another pocket inside his overcoat he pulled an owl — a real, live, rather ruffled-looking owl

Harry gasped at the poor creature

— a long quill, and a roll of parchment. With his tongue between his teeth he scribbled a note that Harry could read upside down:

_Dear Professor Dumbledore, _

_Given Harry his letter. _

_Taking him to buy his things tomorrow. _

_Weather's horrible. Hope you're well. _

_Hagrid_

Rubeus rolled up the note, gave it to the owl, which clamped it in its beak, went to the door, and threw the owl out into the storm. Then he came back and sat down as though this was as normal as talking on the telephone.

Harry realized his mouth was open and closed it quickly.

"Rubeus," he said quietly "thank you for everything, when I get to Hogwarts would it be too much trouble if I stopped by for a visit every once in a while?"

"O course is always nice for friends ter visit eh. What else would ya like to know bout then?" Harry looked up smiling, and saw that Rubeus was positively beaming at him.

They spoke for a long time of what kinds of magic there were and what he'd learn at school. Harry found Rubeus to be a well of knowledge on magical creatures and any of the staff at Hogwarts. Harry learned about the different personalities of each one and put the information away for later. After Rubeus finished showing him how magical currency worked Harry couldn't stop himself from yawning.

"It's gettin' late and we've got lots ter do tomorrow," said Rubeus kindly. "Gotta get up ter town, get all yer books an' that."

He took off his thick black coat and threw it to Harry.

"You can kip under that," he said. "Don' mind if it wriggles a bit, I think I still got a couple o' dormice in one o' the pockets."

AN/ well some of this chapter had parts from the original Harry potter and my own work mixed up in it. So parts of it are JK's and some of its mine. Things get interesting when they get to Diagon alley. Review.


	4. Chapter 4

THE END BY MARY QUIET CONTRARY

I will be putting my stories up for adoption. This means if you would like to use what's already posted and continue the story yourself, please feel free. Some people have told me I should keep going, but writing which I once enjoyed has now become an albatrose around my neck along with a lot of other things in my life. To the reviewers and readers I hope you enjoyed the stories and if anyone wants to use what I've written so far to make more, then may the muses sing you through

ALL STORIES MUST BE ADOPTED OR DELETED BY 6-20-12. Please let me know if you'd like to use what's there. I am also willing to send along the original plot notes, or you could just take the story down the rabbit hole. Thanks

Up for adoption are

A different kind of bravery

A mothers blessing and curse

Balance of reality

Serpent awakening (this seems to be very popular and I hope someone will continue it)

The goodbye letters

The graves of friend and foe

The veil and dreamers reality

Many of my complete stories like will you read me a fairy tale will be given to my friend greenbow.


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